Journal of patient safety
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Journal of patient safety · Sep 2017
Family Satisfaction in Critical Care Units: Does an Open Visiting Hours Policy Have an Impact?
For critically ill patients, the interaction between health care providers and family members is essential in daily decision making. Improving this relationship has a positive impact on satisfaction with the overall care provided to patients and reduces family member symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. In this study, we analyzed the impact of visitation policy (open versus restricted) on family satisfaction using the previously well-validated Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey (CCFSS) questionnaire.
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Journal of patient safety · Sep 2017
Analysis of Adverse Events Associated With Adult Moderate Procedural Sedation Outside the Operating Room.
Moderate sedation outside the operating room is performed for a variety of medical and surgical procedures. It involves the administration of different drug combinations by nonanesthesia professionals. Few data exist on risk stratification and patient outcomes in the adult population. Current literature suggests that sedation can be associated with significant adverse outcomes. ⋯ Providers should take into account patient characteristics and procedure types when assessing the risks of harmful sedation-related complications.
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Although there is extensive evidence on disparities in the process and outcomes of health care, data on racial and ethnic disparities in patient safety remain inconclusive in the United States. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first methodological review of racial/ethnic disparities in patient safety in the United States. The evidence on the existence of disparities in adverse events was mixed. Poor stratification of outcomes by race/ethnicity and consideration of geographic and hospital-level variations explain the inconclusive evidence; variations in the quality of care at hospitals should be considered in studies using national databases.
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Studies show singular handoffs between health care providers to be risky. Few describe sequential handoffs or compare handoffs from different provider types. We investigated the transfer of information across 2 handoffs using a piloted survey instrument. We compared cross-cover (every fourth night call) with dedicated night-shift residents. ⋯ We did not find a difference in physicians' transfer of information during 2 handoffs among providers taking traditional call or on night shift. Development of tools to measure handoff consistency is needed.
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Journal of patient safety · Mar 2017
Addressing Patient Safety in Rapid Response Activations for Nonhospitalized Persons.
Rapid response teams (RRTs) have been widely accepted as useful adjuncts to the care of inpatients with unanticipated emergencies. One study suggested that leadership of such teams could be assigned to midlevel providers, especially when nonhospitalized person (NHP)-related emergencies occur. However, in our tertiary medical center, a critical care medicine (CCM) physician always leads all RRT events including those related to NHPs. ⋯ Nonhospitalized patients requiring RRT activation often have complex pre-existent illnesses. A standardized team composition for both inpatients and NHPs in crisis is an appropriate administrative structure enhancing patient safety in hospitals where ambulatory and inpatient facilities are combined.